How do you get a naked burglar out of an air conditioning vent? A bit more generally, how do you capture the hearts and attention of consumers? This later question is central to the concept of consumer infatuation, which I discuss in Slingshot. Several companies quickly come to mind that have spawned devoted fans, such as Harley-Davidson, Apple or Virgin. But how about a company that sells an industrial product? Could it also unleash a passionate affiliation by consumers? Here is one such example.
You may not know that a can of WD-40 is found in 83% of American households. Even more impressively, WD-40 has an ardent following. The company of the same name stokes the love for its multi-use product by inviting customers to share stories of their most unique product applications. It celebrated Y2K by running a campaign to collect 2,000 uses for WD-40 during which it received 300,000 submissions, including preventing snow from sticking to a snow shovel, removing gum from hair and even firemen using it to dislodge a naked burglar trapped in an air conditioning vent!
The company has a 100,000+ member strong fan club whose members continue to share their diverse experiences and tips. Here you can take a peek at the official list of 2,000 uses for WD-40. Surely there’s one that will infatuate you.
[Image courtesy of WD-40.]
